BLM Special Areas

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Soaring over the Snake River Birds of Prey NCA

Teepees at Idaho's Sacajawea Interpretive Center in Salmon

Idaho



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BLM Special Areas - The National Landscape Conservation System

BLM Special Areas are unique public lands that are part of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The NLCS was established in 2000 to recognize and protect some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes. To be included in the NLCS, an area must be an officially designated National Monument, National Conservation Area, National Historic or Scenic Trail, Wild and Scenic River, Wilderness Area, or Wilderness Study Area.

BLM Special Areas

Nationally, the NLCS contains more than 800 units totaling more than 25 million acres. Idaho BLM has 74 NLCS units that encompass approximately 3 million acres of public land. These units include the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, Craters of the Moon National Monument, four National Historic Trails, a National Scenic Trail, and 66 wilderness study areas. Idaho’s NLCS areas are described below.

Idaho’s public lands have many other exceptional areas that are highly valued for their scenic and recreational values. However, they are not part of the NLCS because they have not been nationally designated by either the President or Congress. Information about these outstanding places, which include river systems, lakes, recreation areas, and unique habitats, is found under recreation, rivers, and field offices.